Jurnal Loyalitas Sosial

Vol. 8 No. 1 Maret 2026

Journal of Community Services in Humanities and Social Sciences

p-ISSN | e-ISSN

School-Based Organic Waste Management Innovation to Foster

Greenpreneurship Among Science Teachers and Students

Bambang Subali

a,1

, Ellianawati

b,2

, Tri Joko Raharjo

c,3

, Ridho Adi Negoro

d,4

, Listiyanto

e,5

Natalia Erna Setyaningsih

f,6

a,b,d,e

Physics Education Study Programme, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences,

Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

Primary Education Study Programme, Postgraduate School, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

Basic Physics Laboratory D9, 1st Floor, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences,

Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

Correspondence Authors: bambangfisika@mail.unnes.ac.id

Manuscript received: January 15, 2026, revised: February 12, 2026, approved: February 28, 2026

Abstract

Organic waste management in schools remains a pressing environmental concern that affects

cleanliness, health, and the comfort of the learning environment. Many schools still rely on

burning or burying organic waste such as leaves and food remnants, leading to air pollution

and unpleasant odours. At the same time, science teachers and students generally lack

entrepreneurial and technical skills to transform waste into value-added products. This

community service programme aimed to foster greenpreneurship among science teachers and

students through school-based innovation in environmentally friendly organic waste

management. Using a participatory P4-E approach—Training, Practice Implementation,

Marketing, and Evaluation—the programme involved 50 participants from the Science

Teachers’ Working Group (MGMP IPA) and students of SMP Negeri 1 Slawi, Tegal Regency.

Activities included compost production training using EM-4 biofermentation, hands-on compost

processing and packaging, digital marketing, and financial management workshops, followed

by sustainability evaluation. The results demonstrated a marked improvement in participants’

skills and awareness of sustainable waste management. They successfully produced high-quality

compost, designed creative packaging, and marketed products via social media. Overall, the

programme enhanced ecological literacy, technical competence, and eco-entrepreneurial skills,

contributing to the achievement of SDGs 4, 8, 12, and 13 through sustainable education and

environmentally responsible school practices.

Keywords: EM-4 biofermentation, Green Entrepreneurship, Greenpreneurship, Organic Waste,

Science Education

Jurnal Loyalitas Sosial

Vol. 8 No. 1 Maret 2026

Journal of Community Services in Humanities and Social Sciences

p-ISSN | e-ISSN

Introduction

The issue of organic waste management

within school environments remains a major

concern that affects cleanliness, health, and the

overall comfort of the learning process. Most

schools still handle organic waste by burying

or burning leaves and food residues, which can

cause air pollution and unpleasant odours

(Taufik & Maulana, 2015; Yudistirani,

Syaufina, & Mulatsih, 2015; Rosmala,

Mirantika, & Rabbani, 2020). This situation

indicates a lack of awareness and skills among

the school community in managing organic

waste sustainably. In fact, if properly

managed, organic waste in schools can be

converted into compost that benefits school

greening and educational agriculture

programmes.

Effective organic waste management

efforts require innovation grounded in

environmental education and simple scientific

practices that are easy to apply within the

school setting. The scientific approach to

waste management using biofermentation

technology such as EM-4 has been proven to

accelerate the decomposition process and

produce high-quality organic fertiliser (Nur,

Noor, & Elma, 2016; Yuniwati, Iskarima, &

Padulema, 2012; Subali et al., 2024). The

application of such methods also promotes

contextual learning for students in

understanding ecosystem and material cycle

concepts within science education. Therefore,

schools can function as living laboratories that

nurture students’ ecological awareness and

scientific literacy.

Beyond environmental aspects, organic

waste management also carries economic

potential when developed into marketable

products. The concept of greenpreneurship

can cultivate creativity and innovation among

teachers and students in creating

environmentally friendly products with

economic value (Purnamawati et al., 2021;

Ardiyanti, 2019; Komara & Setiawan, 2020).

Entrepreneurship education integrated with

waste management practices provides

meaningful learning experiences while

fostering productive, independent, and

sustainability-oriented character formation.

Through community service activities, these

skills can be strengthened via structured

training and mentoring at the school level.

This community service programme was

implemented at SMP Negeri 1 Slawi, Tegal

Regency, in collaboration with the Science

Teachers’ Working Group (MGMP IPA) of

Tegal. Its primary aim was to enhance

teachers’ and students’ abilities in processing

organic waste into compost through EM-4

biofermentation, while fostering

greenpreneurship through creative packaging

and digital marketing. The programme

contributes to the achievement of SDG 4

(Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and

Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible

Jurnal Loyalitas Sosial

Vol. 8 No. 1 Maret 2026

Journal of Community Services in Humanities and Social Sciences

p-ISSN | e-ISSN

Consumption and Production), and SDG 13

(Climate Action) (Subali, Ellianawati, &

Raharjo, 2025; Aini et al., 2020; Wardoyo,

2016). Through the P4-E approach (Training,

Practice Implementation, Marketing, and

Evaluation), this initiative is expected to serve

as a sustainable model of community

empowerment integrating science education,

green entrepreneurship, and environmental

stewardship within schools.

Method

The implementation of this community

service programme employed the P4-E

approach—consisting of Training, Practice

Implementation, Marketing, and Evaluation—

using a participatory model. This approach was

designed to empower teachers and students to

process organic waste into economically

valuable compost products while fostering a

spirit of greenpreneurship. The activity was

conducted at SMP Negeri 1 Slawi, Tegal

Regency, involving 50 participants, comprising

members of the Science Teachers’ Working

Group (MGMP IPA) and student representatives

from the school.

The programme was carried out in four

main stages. First, the training stage focused on

improving participants’ understanding of

organic waste management concepts and

biofermentation techniques using EM-4.

Second, the practice implementation stage

involved hands-on compost production

activities, including material crushing, mixing,

and aesthetically creative product packaging.

Third, the marketing stage provided training in

digital promotion, simple financial record-

keeping, and the development of school-based

entrepreneurial networks. Fourth, the evaluation

stage was conducted through follow-up

mentoring to monitor production sustainability,

product quality, and the continuity of

entrepreneurial activities within the school.

The success of the programme was

measured both descriptively and qualitatively

through three main indicators: (1) changes in

participants’ ecological attitudes, measured by

pre- and post-training questionnaires assessing

waste management awareness; (2) social and

cultural behavioural changes within the school,

observed through the independent

implementation of waste segregation and

processing practices; and (3) economic impact,

measured by the increased ability of participants

to produce and market compost products.

The degree of achievement was evaluated

through observation results, documentation, and

participant satisfaction surveys related to the

training. Qualitatively, success was also

identified from the emergence of new product

innovations, increased entrepreneurial

motivation, and participants’ commitment to

maintaining cleanliness and programme

sustainability. Thus, this method not only

measured tangible products but also assessed

behavioural change and the development of

Jurnal Loyalitas Sosial

Vol. 8 No. 1 Maret 2026

Journal of Community Services in Humanities and Social Sciences

p-ISSN | e-ISSN

green entrepreneurship awareness within the

school environment.

Result and Discussion

This community service programme was

carried out to enhance the skills of teachers

and students in managing organic waste into

environmentally friendly compost products

and to foster a spirit of greenpreneurship. The

implementation began with theoretical and

practical training on waste processing using

EM-4 biofermentation. Participants were

guided to understand the process of organic

matter decomposition, chopping, mixing,

fermenting, and packaging the compost

product. Observations indicated a significant

improvement in participants’ understanding of

fundamental concepts and technical abilities in

organic waste processing after the training

(Nur, Noor, & Elma, 2016; Subali et al., 2024).

This improvement was also evident from the

positive responses of participants who stated

that the training provided them with new

practical skills applicable to both school and

home environments. Figure 1 illustrates the

composting practice conducted by students

and teachers at the school, where they worked

collaboratively to process dry leaves and other

organic materials. This activity not only

developed participants’ technical

understanding of biofermentation but also

strengthened cooperation between teachers

and students in implementing environmental

science concepts in real-life contexts.

Figure 1. Process of producing organic

compost from school environmental waste

by students under the supervision of

teachers during the community service

activity.

Quantitatively, pre- and post-training

questionnaire results revealed that more than

85% of participants experienced an increase in

understanding of how to process waste into

marketable compost. Before the activity, most

teachers and students were unfamiliar with the

fermentation process; however, after the

training, they were able to produce high-

quality compost with ideal moisture levels.

These findings align with Yuniwati, Iskarima,

and Padulema (2012), who stated that using

EM-4 bioactivators accelerates composting

and improves nutrient content in organic

fertilisers. Qualitatively, participants also

showed enthusiasm and new awareness of the

importance of sustainable waste management

practices at school (Rosmala, Mirantika, &

Rabbani, 2020).

From the marketing perspective,

teachers and students received digital

promotion training through social media

platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to

Jurnal Loyalitas Sosial

Vol. 8 No. 1 Maret 2026

Journal of Community Services in Humanities and Social Sciences

p-ISSN | e-ISSN

expand the reach of their compost products.

Participants were also trained to design

attractive packaging and labels to increase

product value. Evaluation results showed that

about 70% of participants were able to create

social media accounts and independently

promote their school-based products. This

activity cultivated creativity and a spirit of

green entrepreneurship among teachers and

students, consistent with the findings of

Purnamawati et al. (2021) and Komara &

Setiawan (2020), who highlighted the

importance of digital literacy and networking

in developing school-based greenpreneurship.

Illustrates the implementation phase of the

community service training held in

collaboration with the Science Teachers’

Working Group (MGMP IPA) of Tegal

Regency. The session provided an interactive

platform for knowledge sharing between

lecturers, teachers, and students, ensuring the

transfer of both scientific and entrepreneurial

skills show Figure 2.

Figure 2. Implementation of the

community service programme involving

science teachers and students from SMP

Negeri 1 Slawi, Tegal Regency, facilitated

by the UNNES LPPM team.

The success of the programme can be

measured through three main indicators:

ecological attitude change, social behavioural

improvement, and economic impact.

Ecologically, participants showed greater

awareness in sorting waste and avoiding

burning practices. Socially, the school

initiated an independent waste management

system by forming an eco-school team.

Economically, participants learned to

calculate production costs and set competitive

selling prices for compost products. These

indicators reflect the success of the

participatory approach, which focuses on

behavioural change and the empowerment of

target communities (Aini et al., 2020; Subali,

Ellianawati, & Raharjo, 2025).

Although the outcomes were positive,

the programme also encountered challenges

such as limited mentoring time, differences in

participants’ comprehension levels, and

unequal waste management facilities among

schools. Nevertheless, its main strength lies in

the successful integration of science learning

with practical green entrepreneurship

education at the school level. In the future, this

programme has the potential to be developed

into an eco-school entrepreneurship model

that can be replicated in other schools,

contributing to waste reduction and local

economic growth (Taufik & Maulana, 2015;

Yudistirani, Syaufina, & Mulatsih, 2015).

Jurnal Loyalitas Sosial

Vol. 8 No. 1 Maret 2026

Journal of Community Services in Humanities and Social Sciences

p-ISSN | e-ISSN

Conclusion

The community service programme on

school-based organic waste management

innovation successfully enhanced the skills of

science teachers and students in processing

organic waste into compost through the

application of EM-4 biofermentation, while

simultaneously fostering a spirit of

greenpreneurship through training in product

packaging and digital marketing.

Theoretically, the results indicate that the P4-

E approach (Training, Practice

Implementation, Marketing, and Evaluation)

is effective as a participatory empowerment

model that integrates science learning,

entrepreneurship, and sustainable

environmental education. The outcomes

demonstrate that waste management can serve

as a contextual learning medium that

positively influences ecological, social, and

economic behavioural change within the

school community. For sustainability, it is

recommended that follow-up mentoring and

replication of the programme be conducted in

other schools to establish a broader network of

eco-school entrepreneurship. Future

researchers and community service

implementers are advised to explore the

development of derivative products based on

biofermentation, strengthen systems for

evaluating economic impact, and advance

curriculum integration models aligned with

the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to

institutionalise environmental education and

green entrepreneurship within the education

sector.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their

sincere gratitude to the Institute for Research

and Community Service (LPPM), Universitas

Negeri Semarang (UNNES) for funding this

programme through the 2025 DPA UNNES

Lecturer Community Service Scheme, under

Contract Number DPA

139.032.693449/2025.01 and the Agreement

on the Assignment of Community Service

Implementation (DPA LPPM UNNES 2025),

Number 523.14.3/UN37/PPK.11/2025, dated

14 March 2025. The authors also extend their

appreciation to the Science Teachers’ Working

Group (MGMP IPA) of Tegal Regency, SMP

Negeri 1 Slawi, and all participating teachers

and students for their active involvement and

collaboration throughout the implementation

of this community service programme

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